Metacognitive Therapy

Metacognitive Therapy

In Metacognitive Therapy (MCT), particular emphasis is put on two key processes: Worry and Rumination.

Worry and rumination are seen to characterise a wide variety of emotional disorders, such as depression and a number of the anxiety disorders. In MCT, they are thought of as significant maintaining factors in such disorders – either because people have difficulty controlling their thoughts or because they see them as harmful in some way.

Beliefs about thinking such as “my worrying is uncontrollable” or “my worrying is dangerous” are called metacognitive beliefs as they reflect a person’s thinking about their own cognition (thinking).

By helping people understand and question the beliefs associated with such processes, MCT seeks to help the person gain greater control over worry and rumination, or assess the threat posed by these processes more accurately. Hence the term metacognitive therapy.

Sessions can include exercises intended to help a person control the focus of their attention, and “let go” of unwanted thoughts. Use is made of an approach called “detached mindfulness”, a quite distinct form of mindfulness.